Kodoku na Hikari
by shuneagle05
Summary: A three-part songfic based on Aomine Daiki's Still. (or: anime events, from the perspective of this blue-haired ace). Rated T for language. Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basket. Any recognisable scenes or dialogues have been taken from the anime or the manga.
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1**

* * *

 _The roaring cheers of the crowd steal everything from me_

 _Leaving behind nothing but cold-hearted apathy_

* * *

It wasn't often that Aomine dreamed, but when he did, his dreams fell into three categories: Horikita Mai-chan, basketball and pure randomness.

Not that he bothered classifying them. He didn't even bother remembering most of them.

But he definitely remembered that he had found himself back in the middle-school basketball championship hall, the squeak of basketball shoes echoing together with the bouncing of the basketball he was currently dribbling.

Fourth quarter. Teikou, 150. Kamizaki, 81. The Generation of Miracles was doing well as usual.

The basket was the only thing Aomine saw as he drove past one player after another. But as he passed a familiar player, his vision widened to include the person's slumped figure.

Tetsu had said something about a player who would arise one day to challenge Aomine. Aomine had hoped to find that in Inoue. After all, the two power forwards had had a good game in their first year. Inoue had actually managed to keep him under control. They had congratulated each other after the match was over and wished each other well.

Aomine had grown since then, his skills and power increasing dramatically. The admiring roars of the crowd grew louder as he crushed one opponent after another, but he felt he was losing the motivation to play. He hoped Inoue would once again prove a worthy opponent, but now his old friend was standing with his head bowed, not even bothering to try and block his drive.

 _What's up with that?_ The split second in which Aomine passed Inoue seemed to drag on. _You're saying you've already given up?_

The movement was almost mechanical as Aomine jumped and tipped the ball into the basket. He could feel Inoue's resignation and disappointment radiating from him, as chilling as it had been the time they had played, dimming the cheers that rang out at his goal.

 _Why? I've been looking forward to this. I thought I could have a good game against you…_

He moved forward, bending a little to try and peer at his face. _Inoue,_ he thought.

"You don't get it… just how much of a _monster_ you are." Inoue's expression changed from unreadable to a pained smile.

Aomine was running back for the defense, but slowed as he heard Inoue's next words.

"Of course no one can go against you."

"Are you being sarcastic?" Aomine unconsciously quickened his pace, a mix of disappointment, regret and shock washing over him like the high tide, swirling through his thoughts, bringing up what he had tried to push into in the depths of his mind.

The emotion calmed. He had been right after all. He was undefeatable; even the spectators knew that. His power was off the charts. He could take the entire Kamizaki team alone and win.

Whatever he did- no, whatever _anyone_ did couldn't change that.

The light had become too powerful for its shadow.

"Tetsu," he called to his teammate, and the light-skinned boy turned towards him, the light-blue strands of his hair swaying as he ran. His small smile was reflected in his blue eyes as he held out a fist to bump against Aomine's. The familiar expression almost melted something in him that had frozen over.

 _Almost._

He didn't need a shadow. He didn't need Tetsu.

"It's no good after all." He passed his partner, leaving him behind as his legs carried him ever onward to the other end of the court, his gaze fixed on the goal.

"The only one who can win against me… is myself."

Aomine knew how the match would end. After all, he'd already played through the entire thing.

Teikou, 169. Kamizaki, 81.

The last time he spoke to Inoue (albeit indirectly) was when the teams were thanking each other for the game. The crowd cheered again, but he felt strangely emotionless.

* * *

 _How long has it been like this? / That even my teammates_

 _How long have I felt this way? / Drifted far out of reach_

* * *

The dream ended the way all Aomine's dreams did- an abrupt return to unfeeling unconsciousness, then the slow realisation that he was seeing the dull red of the sunlight through his closed eyelids. The rooftop wasn't always the best place to sleep, but it was rarely disturbed, so Aomine could skip classes and basketball practice without worrying about anyone finding him. Only Satsuki knew he slept there, but she never revealed it to the others.

Today, he'd only managed to nap for half an hour or so, having come up after he returned to school from the one-on-one with Tetsu's new light (his name was Kagami, right?) He was spirited and had some skill, he'd give him that, but he was still too weak for Aomine.

"So hot," he murmured as his stomach gave a hungry growl. He covered his eyes from the afternoon sun with a tanned hand as they blinked open. Sitting up, Aomine instinctively reached for his photo book but was startled to find nothing. Come to think of it, the book hadn't been with him that morning.

 _Must've left it in the gym again. If Kantoku sees it, he's gonna confiscate it. But going down to the gym means I'll run into the rest of the team. Wakamatsu's gonna nag at me again._

Aomine sighed. Wakamatsu would probably be exceptionally annoyed with him since they had a match in a few days' time. The Summer Interhigh qualifiers would be against Seirin- the high school Tetsu attended. Even though they had only been a team for two years, many schools had heard about their run-and-gun style and offensive power. _Of course Tetsu would be useful to them. His passes and misdirection always helped to direct our play. Now that he's with Seirin, their offense will improve further. But it doesn't matter. I've crushed every opponent I've faced. Seirin will be no different._

* * *

As Aomine sneaked in by the backstage, he could hear Imayoshi, Susa and some other player chatting as they ate. Ryou was scrambling onstage.

"Itadakimasu!" His cheerful voice was instantly recognisable. Aomine was about to burst out of the wings when Wakamatsu leaned forward and asked Ryou whether the bento was his little sister's.

"Ah… sumimasen! But I made it myself, so I don't think I'd…"

"You made it yourself?!"

Aomine couldn't help but be impressed at Ryou as he stepped forward to see the bento, neatly arranged with a kawaii bear on top.

"Hey, that looks good." Bending down, Aomine reached for one of the idakos and ate it. Ryou made a small surprised noise, and Wakamatsu's reaction was the most predictable. "Aomine!"

"Sup?"

"Where have you been? You can't skip practice for no reason!"

Aomine took another idako.

"You're coming to practice this afternoon, right?"

"You can't be serious." Aomine gave a short laugh. Wakamatsu always got so worked up. He swallowed the idako and turned to Ryou, plunging his hand into the bento to take the rest of the food. "This is really good. Give me the rest of it."

"But this is…"

"Huh?" He paused.

"Sumimasen, go ahead!" No sooner had the words left his mouth than the bear disappeared, followed by a handful of rice and wakame.

Wakamatsu growled. "Don't give him that, Sakurai!"

The familiar annoyance set in. _Even Akashi recognised my power and let me do whatever I wanted._ "Shut up. I can skip practice as long as I have a reason, right?" There was about a third of the bento left. Ryou's eyes were flicking from his food, to Aomine and then to Wakamatsu, not knowing what to do.

A pause. Imayoshi looked on with a tiny frown. Wakamatsu narrowed his eyes. Aomine reached under a curtain (he never forgot where he left that photo book) and drew out his precious collection.

"They said they'd confiscate my Horikita Mai-chan photo book if I left it here. I just came to get this."

He rose, clutching the book tightly, and jumped off the stage. He straightened. "So I'm leaving. G'luck. Practise hard."

A small part of him wanted to laugh at the irony- Touou's ace, Aomine Daiki, who never came to practice, telling his team to practice hard even as he was about to head out of the gym.

"Wait, Aomine!" Heavy footsteps sounded from behind Aomine, and just as he turned around, Wakamatsu grasped his collar, glaring at him as if he wished his anger was enough to burn the lazy yet arrogant expression off his face. "Enough already! I'm telling you to come to practice!"

"I'll forgive you once. Let me go."

"Wha-"

Aomine brought his leg up to knee Wakamatsu in the stomach. His senpai stumbled back, doubling over in pain.

"Aomine!" This from Imayoshi, taking a step forward as if to help Wakamatsu or chastise Aomine.

"I told him I'd do it." _He'll never have the right to force me to practise as long as he's weaker than I am. In any case, he'll always be weaker than me._

"Practice, practice." Aomine tossed the word to the air with a mirthless laugh. "Don't make me laugh. Ryou, how many points did I score last game?"

"Huh? Uh, 82 points." Aomine kicked at the basketball on the floor, bouncing it into his hands.

 _Isn't that proof enough for you?_ He dribbled the ball across the court and leaped up to dunk. The seamless transition seemed almost impossible at the speed Aomine was going, but it was no challenge for him. This time, however, he jumped a little higher, dunked the ball a little harder and caught at the basket as he came down from the jump. A creaking sound, and then the basket broke, tearing from the board in a shower of splinters.

"Huh?" He pretended to be surprised at the broken basket as he held it up, the loose screws clinking. "Oops, I did it again."

 _Hey, this means they can't practice today. The basket's gone. The last time I broke it, it was five days before they got another one._ Aomine chuckled, an amused smile on his face. "I don't think you can practise with this thing," he called as he held it up. "Let's see, what was I trying to say?"

The broken basket was discarded on the gym floor, the net twisted and the screws scattered. "You can talk after you're better than me. Not that you ever will be."

As Aomine was walking out of the gym, Imayoshi's voice carried over to him. "Are you okay, Wakamatsu? Sorry about that."

"Captain, why are you apologising?"

"You're not wrong, but don't say anything like that to Aomine again. Meritocracies are hardly unusual."

Aomine paused at Imayoshi's words, then continued his way down the corridor. _Imayoshi apologised? And he actually sounded sincere?_

Perhaps Touou wasn't as cold a team as he had thought. The focus had always been on individual skill, on being an individual player. There wasn't much teamwork on the court, not that they needed it.

But Imayoshi apologising to Wakamatsu was one of the rare displays of concern the team sometimes showed. Wakamatsu, too. Hadn't he tried to stop Aomine from taking Ryou's food? (But Ryou had agreed to Aomine eating his bentos, anyway, so all was well.)

" _But don't say anything like that to Aomine again. Meritocracies are hardly unusual."_

The way Imayoshi had said it was as if Aomine was, and was not, a part of Touou's basketball team. He was part of their team because he wore the same jersey and played with them in games, but any camaraderie he shared with them was negligible.

Aomine was used to it. Of the team members, he felt the closest to Ryou, but that was because of his bentos. Since he rarely went to practice, he hardly spoke to his other teammates. In games, he played alone, countless one-on-ones that racked up fifty, seventy, even ninety points. He knew his teammates were considerably strong, but he stood out amongst all of them.

But it felt good to see his opponents visibly cringing at his sheer presence on the court, to hear the admiring crowd cheering as he made countless shots, to see his skill confirmed again and again as the points soared above the hundred mark. He didn't mind being where he was now.

(he actually did, but acknowledging it was out of the question.)

* * *

 _So hot,_ thought Aomine as he breezed out of the school gate, flipping through his magazine. _Good thing Maji Burger has air-con. How many teriyaki burgers should I get… ten as usual?_

"Aomine-kun!" Light pink hair blew elegantly behind the petite figure running up to him. "Oh, Satsuki. Where did you rush off to this morning? Let's go have lunch."

"I went to check up on Seirin. Why are you going out now?! Don't we have practice?"

"I had a one-on-one two hours ago. I'm tired. And I haven't had a good lunch yet. Don't feel like practicing."

"One-on-one?"

"I met Kagami."

"I told you not to! He hasn't healed yet!"

"I know… anyway, I'm disappointed with him. I thought he'd at least be challenging, but he bored the hell out of me. Even without the injury, he'll never be like us. I have no idea what Tetsu sees in him. Kagami isn't the best player to bring out Tetsu's ability."

Satsuki's lips curved slightly before she frowned at him. "That's still no excuse for you to skip practice! We're up against _Tetsu-kun's_ school!"

"They're up against _us_. I've already beaten their ace. What's the point of practicing?"

"You're impossible, Aomine-kun." She sighed, then jumped as her phone buzzed in her pocket. She flipped it open. "Imayoshi-san is asking whether I'm back from scouting. Please come for practice, Aomine-kun. I need to report Seirin's statistics so the team knows what to do during the match."

Aomine laughed, shaking his head. "I don't need their stats to defeat them. I'm off to Maji. See you."

As he strolled off, he heard Satsuki take a few steps towards his retreating figure, pause, and then run back towards the gym. He flipped his magazine open again. _Some of the pictures are getting a bit boring. Hope the next one comes out soon._

* * *

 _I never realized how much I would have to lose_

 _All the smiles we shared / All those times we bumped fists_

* * *

Aomine ignored the surprised glances the other customers were giving him as he carried his pyramid of burgers over to an empty eight-seat table by the window, pulling out one of the centre seats as though it was labeled with his name. If the other Miracles were with him, Murasakibara would have the rightmost seat and the seat opposite for his piles of maiubo, Midorima glaring at the mess beside him disapprovingly. Kise would be talking to Tetsu excitedly across the table. Satsuki would lean across Aomine to join in the conversation, making him have to reach awkwardly for his food. Akashi, opposite Aomine, would simply watch the scene with the smallest of smiles. Even though they hung out at the convenience store more often in middle school, the fast-food restaurant was where they could talk most. _Must have been the atmosphere._ He unwrapped the first burger.

The Generation of Miracles had separated because of the vow they made to play against each other and see who was the strongest amongst them (the answer was obvious, Aomine thought, but having never played against Akashi before, he wasn't sure what would come of _that_ match). Aomine was sure Tetsu had joined their vow even after he left the team. Wasn't he challenging them with his new light, Kagami?

Aomine had in fact been Tetsu's light in Teikou. He would be the one darting around the court like he belonged there, receiving passes that seemed to come out of nowhere, taking the ball to the basket easily. Tetsu would run up from the back, ready to make another pass once the Teikou players got the ball again. Of course, he also worked with the other Miracles, but when it came to Tetsu's and Aomine's play, it was so synchronised it was almost unbelievable. The light and shadow analogy was something Midorima had mentioned during a game, but it became something the duo identified themselves with.

" _Kuroko is a shadow, nanodayo. The stronger the light, the darker the shadow. In other words, working with a stronger player makes Kuroko's abilities even stronger. It's not that we are not in tune with Kuroko. But Aomine is the strongest. If he works best with Kuroko, then that means he shines brighter than the rest of us."_

The light had always been strong, but it later became overwhelming. Aomine couldn't tell exactly when it had happened. He just passed other players more easily. His streetball style and fakes became more unpredictable. He could still recall the look of shock on the referee's face, flipping the third tag to the left from a 0 to a 1, indicating that Teikou's score had risen above 100.

Aomine would focus intensely on his movements, dribbling the ball out of his opponents' reach, pivoting, turning, then driving forward, and then the ball would be through the basket, and the cheers would resound, and the gap between the two schools would widen. He would look behind him at the defenders he knew would be running for the ball or getting into position for the next play, with an exhilarated grin spreading across his face.

What met Aomine's gaze in the game against Harada Middle School was not the players' determined expressions, but their lowered heads- a sight that was becoming more frequent than he would have liked. The spectators could see that the Harada players were losing motivation, but they couldn't see that Aomine was as well. To him, a match was nothing without a challenge.

"Good game, Aominecchi!" Kise had said when it was over, but Aomine didn't hear the excited speech that followed, forcing a smile and faking a laugh whenever his blond-haired friend paused for breath. He was relieved when he got back to Teikou to find that practice had just ended. Tetsu walked home with him as usual.

For once, Aomine was quieter than his shadow.

" _Aomine-kun."_

" _Hmm?"_

" _What's wrong? You seem aloof."_

I don't know why I can't seem to enjoy basketball as much as I did before. I can't find anyone as strong as I am. Practice is supposed to make me stronger, but I… _"No, it's nothing."_

 _Silence. Two girls walked past, in deep conversation. Tetsu looked at them for a few seconds, then turned back to Aomine._

" _You seem to be doing well lately."_

" _Yeah, I guess."_ Thanks, Tetsu. But I think I may be doing too well. _"You know…"_ I don't think you would understand, though. _Aomine looked away. "No, it's nothing."_

" _I see."_

 _Two boys walked past, chatting happily. Tetsu stared after them._

" _By the way, you stare at people now since changing your play style."_

" _Yes, I'm observing people. I can apply it to my misdirection-"_

" _Tetsu-kun!"_

 _Aomine flinched back instinctively as a human missile (also known as Momoi Satsuki) ran into Tetsu, knocking him over as she hugged him. Dust clouds flew. Aomine sighed. "You sure come on to Tetsu hard lately."_

" _Well, I can't hold it back!" The dust cleared to show Satsuki with her arms wrapped around Tetsu's neck. The boy was trapped below her._ Satsuki, _thought Aomine,_ I'm not sure if suffocating Tetsu is the best way to show how much you like him.

" _Sorry, could you get off now?" The blue-haired boy's voice was slightly choked. Satsuki released him immediately._

" _More like don't interrupt-"_

" _Huh? What?"_

" _Oh, right." Tetsu straightened._

" _What were you talking about?" Satsuki's voice seemed sweeter than usual- she was still trying to attract Tetsu. Aomine doubted Tetsu thought much about that kind of thing, though._

" _Then, Momoi-san-" Light blue eyes met pink._

" _Hmm?"_

" _You're the type that stares back when stared at."_

What… even… _"What's that about?" asked Aomine._

" _People have all sorts of quirks and different reactions. I observe those and categorise them. I need that to guide lines of sight."_

Well, this is quite interesting, _Aomine thought. "Then you know my quirks and stuff?"_

" _You always avert your eyes when you lie to me."_ Oh _. Aomine knew turning his head to the side wasn't the best way to hide his sheepish expression, but he did anyway. "Man… I'm done for."_

" _That doesn't mean you need to tell me right now. Someday, when you feel like telling me, please do."_

Thank you, Tetsu. _Perhaps, when the time was right, Tetsu's help would be invaluable. "Yeah. Got it."_

Aomine crumpled the ninth burger wrapper and threw it over his shoulder (it landed in the bin together with the other eight). He had never really told Tetsu what he had been thinking at that moment, but he had the feeling that Tetsu, in that inexplicable way of his, would have guessed anyway. He wondered how Seirin would face him in the match, how they would counter his individual style. He knew Tetsu wouldn't try a one-on-one, so… team play was the only answer. It had always been his style of basketball, anyway.

 _We'll see who's right at the Interhigh, Tetsu. Don't disappoint me._

The tenth wrapper joined its nine counterparts as Aomine pushed the door open. He held it for an extra second, then remembered there was no one following him. He had almost expected, or even anticipated Tetsu to announce his presence with an "Anou…" that would make Aomine jump and nearly drop his bag, but there was only silence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

* * *

 _This absolute strength of mine dictates the kind of conviction_

 _That makes those things impossible / I know that, so why—_

* * *

A dark blue handphone vibrated for the umpteenth time. Aomine wanted to throw it off the school roof just so it would stop and he could continue sleeping, but on second thought, ruining a perfectly good handphone wasn't the wisest decision. He was considering actually picking up the call just so the person wouldn't disturb him again when the vibrations stopped.

Two peaceful minutes later, the phone rang. Aomine had set it so it would only ring if the Generation of Miracles or Satsuki called, so he scrabbled for it and flipped the screen open. _Why would Satsuki be calling? Oh, right. Today's match against Seirin._ He pressed the call button.

"There you are!" Satsuki's voice.

"Sup?"

"What are you doing? Where are you right now?"

"Where? I'm at school." Aomine sat up. _Man, the sky's getting a little dark._ "Oh, sorry. I overslept."

"You _overslept_?" The sound crackled. Aomine allowed himself a yawn.

The voice changed. "Aomine, how long will it be until you can get here?"

"Oh, Imayoshi-san." _The game starts at 7, and it's about 6:40 now._ "I'll probably be there by the second half."

"We're counting on you! We're up against Seirin!"

"Hah, there you go again. Twenty minutes is more than enough time to crush those scrubs. Well, do whatever you can during the first half."

"What? Hey-"

Aomine ended the call and stretched lazily before getting to his feet. Heading to the toilet to change into his uniform, he wondered if he'd have to run for the next bus to the gymnasium.

* * *

Aomine wasn't sure what to do during the half hour he'd be spending on the bus, so he just let his thoughts wander. _Damn it, I didn't bring my magazine. Maybe I could ask Kise to get me one. He knows Horikita Mai-chan, after all - the perks of being a model. The bus is a little slow today. I'd better not miss half-time break. Ryou's bringing honey-soaked lemons. Satsuki's bound to have brought some as well. I'll be surprised if we manage to eat them. I wonder how the game's going. How are they dealing with Tetsu's new light?_ He closed his navy eyes, recalling their one-on-one. Kagami had barely kept up with him despite the amount of spirit he had. His light was too dim.

Aomine knew, however, that he couldn't get a complete feel of Kagami's true ability from that game. He guessed his technique level might be on par with an Uncrowned King. Perhaps he might be as strong as Kise. Kise had only joined the team in his second year, though. Aomine sometimes wondered how skilled Kise would have been had he joined in his first year, but more important now was the opponent he would face soon. Or opponents.

He wondered how the shadow had been doing. He wondered how Tetsu would be with Seirin. He wondered why Tetsu had joined Seirin in the first place. They might have some strength, but why a new school? He could have at least joined one of the three Kings of Tokyo. Would misdirection be good with Seiho's defense? Would he have improved Senshinkan? Would Midorima be happy if Tetsu joined him in Shuutoku?

The bus stopped and Aomine alighted, stepping out under the dark blue sky. He wondered how Tetsu would react to playing against his former light. Would he unconsciously hold back, distracted by thoughts of their past friendship? Would he put on the same determined face he had before their middle school matches?

As for Aomine, he already knew what he felt. He would show Tetsu that he and Akashi had always been right, that their individual style would triumph simply because _they were powerful enough_. Perhaps he would play normally at first to get a feel of how Seirin would counter him, then crush them with his street basketball.

There was one thing he knew, however. Touou would win.

* * *

Aomine reached the hall to see Kagami standing at the bench, speaking to a girl with short brown hair. Aida Riko, Satsuki had said. Seirin's coach. There was a medical kit beside her. _Oh, so he hasn't recovered completely yet. Must've taped his legs._

"Seirin, member change."

"Go get them!"

"Yeah!" Kagami stood at his full height, his shoulders tensed. _Hyped up, aren't you?_

Aomine sauntered over and slung an arm around Kagami's neck. "That's right, show some spirit so you can entertain me a little."

Kagami's shock was apparent, his pupils shrinking. Then he swung an arm up to free himself. "You bastard! Aomine!"

Aomine was barely surprised at his reaction. He smirked slightly. He could feel the entire Seirin team staring wide-eyed at him.

"You're finally here?" Aomine turned to Imayoshi. "Hurry up and get ready so you can play!"

"What? But you're winning. There's only-" he glanced at the scoreboard. 0:51. "-one minute left in the second quarter anyway."

"No, you have to play." Coach Harasawa spoke.

"Fine." Aomine chucked his bag onto the bench. Taking off the jacket covering his uniform, he tossed it to Satsuki. "Well, then… Let's go."

"Touou Academy! Member change!"

Aomine spotted his former shadow, now donning the Seirin uniform. He walked up. "Hey, Tetsu. It's good to see you again. I was wondering what face you'd make."

Tetsu's eyes were narrowed slightly, a sure sign of concentration. He didn't smile, just stared back at Aomine with steel in his expression.

"I like it. You look ready to go."

"Yes. I promised Momoi." _That you'd defeat me, right?_

"I more or less understand what you want to say, but you'll have to show me that with your play. Well, either way… say it once you've beaten me."

"All right."

Aomine passed Tetsu and cast a glance at Kagami, standing behind the shadow. "If you can do it."

"Bring it on! We'll show you right away!"

When Susa passed the ball in, all the Touou members hurried to one side of the court. Their Seirin marks followed, leaving Aomine and Kagami. Sakurai passed to Aomine. _Show me your best, Kagami._

The 51 seconds passed quickly. Though it seemed to the players and audience that Aomine was moving unbelievably quickly, he knew better. He wasn't warmed up properly. His balance was off. Kagami managed to block his first attempt to dunk, but had his own dunk blocked as well before the buzzer sounded.

As the two teams headed for their respective benches, Wakamatsu came up to Aomine. "Aomine, you bastard, play as hard as you can! You let that guy block you!"

"What? I can't play that hard. I'm tired. ("You…!") But…" He looked sideways at Kagami and Tetsu. "I might actually try in the second half."

"The second quarter is over. The third quarter will begin after a ten-minute break." The announcer's voice rang out, the cue for the players to return to their rooms.

As Ryou had promised, he brought the lemons. Aomine had only eaten one when Wakamatsu snatched the box away, saying that he needed them more. Imayoshi didn't get any. Satsuki brought honey lemons as well, but she hadn't sliced them. (Wakamatsu: "Isn't this a level below cooking?")

Coach Harasawa arrived to find Satsuki pouting, Ryou apologising for not having sliced more and Imayoshi staring longingly at the now empty box Ryou held. He clapped his hands together. "Come on, it's too early to relax. Let's talk about the second half."

Aomine had other things on his mind. "I'll pass."

"Aomine, you bastard! Wait!"

"I'll make all my shots in the second half, That should do it, right?"

"You…!"

"As long as you understand," said the coach. "Make sure you warm up."

"Okay." Aomine opened the door and headed out.

"Aomine-kun!" Satsuki ran after him.

When she caught up, he was warming up, stretching his arms. _I should have brought a ball with me. Oh, well. I could ask Satsuki to help me get one._

"I've had enough! I can't believe you were late! What do you think you're doing? We're up against Tetsu's team! In the second half, you'd better-"

"Shut up. I know." Aomine stretched again. "I feel bad about what I did. I misread them a little. I should have shown up sooner. Satsuki, could you get me a ball? I want to warm up outside."

The pink-haired girl looked at him, surprised, then rushed off.

 _The second half is when it truly begins. Tetsu, show me your new light. I will show you how much I will surpass him._

* * *

When Aomine returned, it was to see Tetsu on the bench. Aomine was a little disappointed, but at least he could continue going one-on-one with Kagami. "Let's do this already."

"Hey, did you finish warming up?"

"Keep fighting until the end." Aomine remembered the countless matches in which his opponents had left with their heads low. He remembered the satisfaction he had come to feel at that sight. "If you have it in you."

The third quarter began. Imayoshi stole the ball from Seirin and Susa made a layup. In the next play, Sakurai passed to Wakamatsu, who passed to Aomine. He faced Kagami again. _You're fired up. Does this mean it won't be like that time in the park? Well, either way… It's pointless._

He transferred the ball to his left hand and drove past, not bothering to fake. His speed was back. Kagami turned, but Aomine was past. Seirin's #9 and #8 moved to block him. Aomine halted abruptly, then jumped back. He knew he couldn't take his time. There were footsteps behind him. Kagami would try to block. Aomine aimed, then released. Kagami jumped and swiped, but missed. The ball was in the air.

 _This guy… he's faster than I thought._

The ball went in. Touou, 51. Seirin. 39. The crowd gasped.

#4 sent the ball across the court for another fast break. Kagami caught it and jumped. Aomine knocked the ball away again. "No, you don't. You think I'd let you score that easily?"

Then he remembered where Kagami had jumped from. _Is this guy for real? He just jumped from the free throw line. Don't tell me he was trying to dunk from there. Come on, now._

 _I see. Kagami's strong. Technique wise, he surpasses many._ "Enough. Honest basketball just isn't for me."

Kagami flinched, an uneasy expression crossing his features.

Play began.

* * *

 _After all's said and done, I'm still standing here waiting_

 _I've realized that time and time again_

* * *

A quick warm-up dribble and crossover, and then Aomine drove forward again, controlling his speed. Kagami raced alongside him, an arm stretched out to try and block the blue-haired ace. And then the ball spun towards the wooden floor, bouncing into the air, its path at just the right angle behind him. Kagami froze, trying to turn.

Aomine spun around, caught the ball mid-air and drove. Kagami pivoted, trying to steal the ball. Aomine rolled, sidestepped and dodged. Kagami tried to follow, but Aomine could feel his confusion. _Not bad, though._

The two players were a blur, darting around each other, the ball's rhythm erratic. A double crossover, then something Kagami couldn't make out. A flash of orange at the corner of his eye, and then Kagami lost his balance, sitting down hard as Aomine caught the ball in a double clutch and passed him.

Normal basketball movements were too predictable. From a young age, Aomine had preferred a free-spirited style. One that changed to fit the situation. One that was unreadable, powered by instinct, analysis and skill. It was a style many street basketball players adopted, but how powerful it was depended on the player's ability.

Aomine's was unstoppable.

As he approached the basket, with Kagami still getting to his feet, Aomine noticed three players preparing to jump for the block. He rose into the air as they did, clutching the ball as if going into a layup. The three Seirin players looked relieved as Aomine, still mid-air, passed them, going behind the basket. He would hit the ground soon. He had less than a second left.

The time turned out to be more than enough. Aomine flung the ball upwards, pushing it backwards with just the right amount of force.

It reached its apex just above the basket.

Then it fell.

The buzzer sounded.

The crowd gasped.

The shot from behind the basket was something Aomine had done hundreds of times before, but it was always satisfying.

"Amazing!" The commentator's awe was evident. "He made a shot from behind the basket!"

Seirin's coach stared at him with wide eyes, as did the team.

Aomine looked out over the court, a small smirk crossing his face. He met Tetsu's gaze, then shifted his glance to Kagami. Tetsu's new light looked even more determined than before.

"The Generation of Miracles is full of ridiculous guys."

Aomine merely smirked.

Touou's play. Aomine bounced the ball as he studied Kagami, then dribbled back. Kagami lunged for the ball. Aomine caught it up and drove past, dribbling away from the basket. Keeping his gaze on the white box, he pushed the ball towards it with sustained ease, making sure to miss Kagami's outstretched hand.

"A hook shot?!"

Kagami was panting from the effort it took to match Aomine's speed. Aomine was barely breathing hard. He decided to take a quick break during the next play.

Without the one-on-one between the aces, Seirin's #4 managed to pass Ryou (#8 screened him out), but Wakamatsu blocked his three-pointer. Aomine wondered if he, like Ryou, had another mode of shooting.

Then the ball went to Touou again. Aomine advanced slowly, dribbling the ball. The Seirin players barely moved, keeping an eye on him.

When he reached Seirin's #4, he let the ball bounce away from him. The player looked confused, but reached for the ball anyway. Then it disappeared. Aomine had caught it with one hand, speeding forward in a sudden rush. His opponent was left staring at empty air.

Kagami waited in front of the basket, gathering himself to jump. Aomine was slightly surprised by his leg power, but quickly figured out a shot to pass his block.

From his run, he stopped completely, then jumped backward. "Yeah, yeah. You can jump high. Good for you."

Aomine let himself fall back, keeping his body straight. Then, when he was almost parallel to the ground, he shot the ball in a fadeaway. It passed over Kagami, hit the board and dropped into the basket.

Kagami got the ball next, driving forward as quickly as he could. His eyes were narrowed. Aomine followed behind, curious as to what he would try next. When they stopped, Kagami darted past Aomine, then raised the ball, preparing to shoot.

 _So he wants to score more than I do._ Aomine kept his eyes on the ball, then brought his hand down on it, knocking it out of Kagami's grasp. He couldn't help but be amused as Kagami jumped without the ball, looking downwards in surprise.

"Sorry. You're so slow I took the ball."

Aomine sped off towards the Seirin goal.

"Get back here!" Kagami sprinted after him.

Aomine continued dribbling as he ran. The sound of footsteps behind him grew slightly softer, their rhythm slower. Kagami was falling behind. Aomine knew he had to score quickly. Kagami was still close enough to block if he was a second late. He jumped for the dunk and heard Kagami jump as well, behind him.

Then he felt his opponent bump into him. The whistle sounded.

A dark-skinned arm curved, bringing the ball upwards. Aomine moved his wrist to what he felt was the right angle, then scooped it up behind him.

The ball seemed to move in slow motion, its trajectory bringing it towards the basket.

 _I can't believe that even with his spirit, Kagami is this useless against me. I'm disappointed. If this is all he can do alone, Tetsu really can't develop his abilities with him._

The buzzer sounded. "Basket counts! One throw!"

Aomine turned to face Kagami. "This isn't your basketball, is it? The only one who can beat me is me. You can't fight me on your own." He walked towards the bench, towards his former shadow. "Come on out, Tetsu. Let's settle this."

"Kuroko-kun…" Seirin's manager.

"I'm fine. I've had plenty of time to rest. I'm going." He pulled off the overshirt covering his player's uniform and stood up. Aomine smiled. "Show me the strength of the new light and shadow."

Aomine was called back to the court for the free throw. It went in.

* * *

 _But despite all that, I'm still right here_

 _Wandering through this lonely light_

* * *

"Seirin, member change!"

#9 hurried to the bench, high-fiving Tetsu. Tetsu walked forward to Kagami.

"Sorry." Seirin's light looked away. "It's even harder by myself than I imagined."

"I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"What?"

"We always intended to fight him together, didn't we? If winning was so simple, it would be too easy."

"Shut up. I know!"

The corners of Tetsu's mouth curved up. Then he looked over to Aomine.

Kagami gritted his teeth. "Let's go!"

"Yeah, bring it on."

Play started again. Imayoshi passed to Wakamatsu, who made his shot. Tetsu got the ball for the throw-in. Aomine stayed near the side of the court, watching. Kagami waited two metres away, ready to try to block Aomine or receive a pass.

Tetsu turned, swinging the ball around. Then the ball left his hand, flying past Imayoshi and Wakamatsu. Imayoshi turned, staring after it, his mouth open in shock. Aomine followed its path with his gaze, then started running as Kagami caught it. _I see. It's the same Ignite Pass you were always so proud of, Tetsu._

Aomine had nearly caught up with Kagami when he passed the ball back. Aomine's momentum carried him past as #4 took the ball, preparing for a three-pointer. "What's wrong, Kagami? That was a pretty nice pass."

"Please make this shot, Captain!" One of the bench players yelled out, prompting an "Of course!" from the shooting guard. The ball curved and went in.

Aomine watched Seirin's captain with some amusement. _He might not be like Ryou, but he's got a clutch mode too._

"Let's keep it up!" The captain's strong voice rang out.

Aomine stayed out of the way for the next play, leaving Susa to deal with Kagami. Imayoshi didn't seem to have anyone on him, but a flash of bright blue told Aomine otherwise. Tetsu caught Kagami's pass. Seirin's point guard, #5 received the ball from him and immediately went into a layup. The buzzer sounded, Seirin's points rose and the players were in ecstasies.

Tetsu ran forward again for the defense, high-fiving the point guard on his way. _Team basketball, as always. It really is completely different when you're playing. But-_

"You're still the same, Tetsu."

The shadow stopped.

"You really haven't changed since middle school. Really. Not at all."

Aomine turned, dark blue orbs narrowed at his former teammate. "I'm disappointed. You still think you can beat me?"

"I do. This is my basketball."

Seirin's point guard started the ball, studying the court before passing the ball to Tetsu. Tetsu balanced himself, his eyes trained on the ball, drawing his hand back. Aomine moved into position. He stretched his hand out, curving his palm, his wrist relaxed just the right way. The ball shot into his hand. Tetsu looked up at his former light, letting out a gasp of surprise.

"Who do you think has caught your passes the most?" _It's almost like we're back on middle school courts. All I need to do is receive his passes and score._

The point guard ran forward to block. Aomine passed him easily, whirled around #4 and dodged #8 (could it even be considered a dodge? The player had simply stood there). Three players down. Touou's ace was advancing steadily.

As he came to the painted area, two others jumped with him. Kagami was jumping higher than he had the entire game, stretching his hand out as far as he could in an attempt to block the dunk he knew was coming. Tetsu had never excelled in anything other than passing, but he too had leaped with all the strength in his small frame, intensely focused on the ball.

As Seirin's light and shadow began to slow, Aomine pushed forward with a burst of explosive power, dunking over them as they fell backward.

The ball hit the ground, bouncing almost tauntingly in front of the fallen duo.

Kagami was still catching his breath when Aomine came down from the jump. Tetsu's back was turned, his legs barely supporting him. Light and shadow had defended together, but Aomine had outshone both of them.

The shadow struggled into a more upright position as his former light stood over him.

"How sad."

Aomine wasn't being mocking as he uttered the words. _Tetsu… will our match end this way? It's unusual to see you this defeated. First Inoue, now you… You were my shadow. A shadow cannot surpass its light. If the shadow remains the same…_

"You haven't changed at all since middle school," he continued. "You haven't improved. Akashi was right after all. Your basketball will never win."

* * *

" _Akashi." Aomine had called Akashi a day or so after he had spoken with Teikou's coach about skipping practice. "Are you sure…"_

" _What is it, Daiki?"_

 _Aomine had flinched the first time he heard Akashi use his first name. "A-about practice."_

" _I'm surprised you are asking about such matters." A slight chuckle from the captain. Aomine remained silent._

" _Daiki, what is Teikou's motto?"_

" _Ever- Ever victorious."_

" _Exactly. As long as victory is attained, other matters will be overlooked. I have informed Atsushi, Shintarou and Ryouta of this as well. Because of our power, we no longer need team play. You, Daiki, should know this better than the rest."_

" _But-" Aomine barely had time to reply before the phone beeped, ending the call._

 _After messaging Kise, he found out that the coach and Akashi had decided to give them special treatment because of their talent. He knew his other teammates' talents were also developing rapidly, but it wouldn't change the fact that he was the first to blossom, the first to grow apart from the rest. Matters between him and the Miracles were never the same after that. It was as if Aomine was the single player shining far above the others, the star that had the brightest light but could never fit into a constellation._

* * *

The fourth quarter started. Touou, 82. Seirin, 51. Tetsu gathered himself for another Ignite Pass, but Aomine moved between him and Kagami, catching the ball before dribbling towards Seirin's basket again. Kagami came to defend, but Aomine didn't bother passing him this time. He did a quick roll, pushing the ball into the air with a spin as he did so. Kagami couldn't react to the unorthodox movement, only watched with a look of trepidation.

Aomine stayed long enough to watch his shot go in, then headed off. He heard Kagami hiss something like "Damn it" and start after him, but then he paused. Aomine, sensing something amiss, slowed, wondering whether to look back. A few seconds passed before Kagami moved again, this time walking with a slightly uneven gait. _His injury,_ realised Aomine.

The buzzer sounded. "Seirin, member change."

"Kagami-kun." Seirin's manager called, her face set. Beside her stood Seirin's #9, stretching his arms.

"Why again? It's fine with the taping!"

"Just get on the bench."

"I'm fine! Besides, the game is still going. I can't leave now!"

"Just get on the bench!"

Kagami walked over silently and sat down, putting an offered towel over his damp hair.

Aomine watched. _So you're going. It's over._ He looked with narrowed eyes at the teenager who had come closer to being a rival than any other player he had matched up with (save for the Generation of Miracles and the Uncrowned Kings). Then he turned away, noting the other's clenched fists. He had a feeling Kagami would demand a revenge match sometime in the future. How long would it be before he could find a true rival?

The new light and shadow had failed. Aomine could do nothing more than continue his street basketball, albeit with less motivation. He left his teammates to it, staying around the sidelines.

Seirin's point guard managed to evade Imayoshi, passing to the shooting guard. Ryou moved in as he was about to make a three-pointer, forcing the shot. It bounced off the backboard into Wakamatsu's hands. Susa received the center's pass and made a layup.

Play continued. Touou's score increased steadily, while Seirin only managed to get another two points from a layup by their center. At 05:46, the score was 93 to 53. Seirin was 40 points behind. The match was decided.

* * *

 _It's not that I'm wishing I could have it all back_

 _If I could just forget everything, that might not be so bad_

* * *

The marks had changed yet again. Seirin seemed to have accepted that they couldn't stop Aomine, given that they had let Tetsu take him. Aomine looked his former shadow over with a cold gaze. He was in a defensive position, but was obviously out of stamina. The rest of Seirin's team were panting hard, struggling to muster the energy needed for the rest of the game. Aomine was slightly surprised by how weak they were against him.

"This was quicker than I expected. It's already decided. Your special pass didn't work, you're out of stamina, and your light is gone. Your misdirection stopped working a while ago. Now, you're worse than the average player. There's no such thing as a quick comeback in basketball. I win, Tetsu."

"It's not over yet." Tetsu's finally spoke. "The possibility of victory is only 0% when all the players give up. No matter how impossible it may seem, I refuse to make it 0% myself." He lifted his head, fixing Aomine with a fiery gaze. "That is why I will _never_ give up!"

Aomine was taken aback. _Even when victory is out of your reach, even when you're against me, you never stop trying._ A small smile crossed his face. _At least you never lose your spirit._

"Hey, bench!" Seirin's captain shouted. "Show some spirit! Let's go!"

The bench players lifted their heads as one of them stood. Aomine noticed his mouth, curved like a cat's. "Keep your voices up to the end! The guys on the court haven't given up yet! You can't sit here quietly!"

The players gave a yell of assent and began calling for the defense. _It's surprising how they chose to encourage the bench players as well. Aren't the players on-court more important?_

Apparently, that wasn't the way Seirin thought.

"Let's close the gap one basket at a time. Keep running until the very end!" The captain's mental strength was admirable. Aomine couldn't help but feel some respect for the team. He looked down at Tetsu again. "I'll acknowledge one thing." He released the ball, letting it bounce in front of the shadow. "You don't give up easily."

As Tetsu reached out, Aomine moved with lightning speed, pushing the ball away and into a dribble, driving for Seirin's basket and dunking over two players.

Seirin started again and Touou followed. Imayoshi stole the ball. Wakamatsu, Ryou and Susa ran up. Ryou got the ball for a three-pointer. The final minutes played out.

Imayoshi blocked Seirin's offensive moves, calculating and strategising. Wakamatsu fought fiercely for every single rebound there was. Ryou shouted an apology with every three-pointer he made. Susa wasn't particularly outstanding, but he continued making layups and blocking dunks. Seirin's captain, under pressure, kept missing his three-pointers. The point guard attempted to shoot as well, but never succeeded, though the center managed to get the rebound for one shot, dunking it in for Seirin's last two points. The power forward played valiantly, but his effort didn't amount to much.

Tetsu tried his best to pass, but he had lost his misdirection and his stamina. It was a wonder he managed to stay on his feet during the last minute. Aomine played less dominantly, but took the ball to the basket every time he got the ball, leaving Tetsu behind.

" _One day, let's stand on the same court together, Tetsu."_

And they had, many times before. As teammates, and now as opponents.

To take his mind off the Teikou memories, Aomine decided to get Touou's score to double of Seirin's. It had worked when Akashi set point goals for them, at least.

In the last five seconds of the game, Aomine drove forward and jumped for the final dunk. The sound of the ball hitting the ground resonated around the court with a cold finality.

The buzzer sounded for the goal, then again to signal the end of the match.

The players lined up in the middle of the court. The referee walked up. "112 to 55, Touou Academy wins! Bow!"

Ten voices sounded together. "Thank you for the game!"

* * *

"We destroyed our opponent in our first game of the championship league!"

Only Imayoshi responded to Wakamatsu's triumphant proclamation. "We know. You don't have to yell."

"Eh?"

Touou was back in their assigned locker room. Aomine was sitting on one of the benches, still thinking about the match.

"I thought they'd be stronger, considering they beat Shuutoku." One of the bench players was chatting excitedly with a friend. "Especially Number 11. Kuroko, right? He was absolute garbage towards the end!"

 _Tetsu, reaching out to try and steal the ball, exhaustion clear on his pale face…_

"He was real uptight about it until the very end. He should have given up sooner."

Aomine snapped, grabbing the player's collar and pushing him against a row of lockers. "For someone who didn't play, you sure have a big mouth. _Shut up._ "

Wakamatsu started forward. "Aomine! What are you doing? Let him go!"

The blue-haired ace lifted the player up a little, then released his grip and walked towards the exit, leaving him to get his breath back. "What's- his problem-"

Aomine realised too late that he had left his bag in the locker room, but decided to let Satsuki take it for him, heading towards the gymnasium's back exit. Of all the memories the game with Tetsu could have brought back, he wondered why it was his first meeting with Imayoshi.

 _Aomine walked out of the reception office, reading an information pamphlet Touou's basketball coach had given him. He was the first high school coach who had allowed Aomine to skip practice._

" _Oh, here he is." A Touou student leaning on the wall outside straightened, turning to the ace of the Miracles._

" _Huh?"_

" _You're Aomine-kun… right?" The high school student was bespectacled, but his eyes didn't seem open. He was smiling, but Aomine immediately got the feeling that he wasn't as friendly as he seemed._

" _Who the hell are you?"_

" _Imayoshi Shouichi… nice to meet you. I'm the captain of the basketball team at Touou, the school that came to scout you a while ago."_

" _Ah. So what?"_

" _We're putting more effort in our scouting lately. We want more than anything to recruit a player like you, a member of the so-called Generation of Miracles. That's why I'm determined to meet you in person."_

" _Hmm." Aomine smiled. "So was it worth it?"_

" _That's the thing… it's even worse than I expected." He pushed his glasses up, the evening sunlight glancing off the lenses. "You're too soft. It'd be better for you not to come to our school."_

" _Huh?" Aomine's eyes widened in shock and anger._

" _I've seen videos of your recent games. A part of you is convinced that you're unbeatable, but deep down in your heart, there's a part of you that wants to lose when playing."_

 _Aomine gave a small gasp._ How did he…

" _You feel isolated because of your exceptional strength, and since you can't stand feeling that way, you're waiting, right? Waiting to find someone who's equal, or maybe even stronger than you are. But… it's too bad that you're the only one hoping for that."_

 _Imayoshi's demeanour changed slightly, though Aomine couldn't put a finger on what had changed. He continued. "Heh. The same goes for us. That's why I asked the coach to defer his decision. That said, if you ever decide to stop waiting…"_

 _Imayoshi turned away, then paused, looking back over his shoulder with a hand raised in a wave. "And you find the will to become the strongest, we don't mind letting you in."_

Aomine had said that he would think about it. And when he joined Touou, he had indeed become the strongest.

But he couldn't help but remember a rainbow whenever he saw Satsuki, or replied to Kise's messages, or caught sight of a photo on the top shelf of his cupboard, fifteen-year-old smiles clear through the dust that had gathered.

Perhaps he hadn't really stopped waiting.

* * *

 _If I could…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

* * *

 _The more I miss them, the more they fade_

 _Memories of everything connected to the passion I felt_

 _Of all the things I never should've been able to abandon_

 _Of all the smiles we shared / Of all those times we bumped fists_

 _When we could just be happy, plain and simple…_

* * *

It was one of the rare days that the basketball team had a day off, since their coach was away and the third years had a program to attend. Even Wakamatsu had decided to end the week early, sending the team a message informing them of the break before going home for the weekend. Aomine had spent most of the school afternoon asleep, so he didn't see the message, but he wouldn't have attended practice either way. Satsuki had come upstairs to wake him after using the extra time to complete a bit of paperwork, so he decided to head home with her.

As they were walking along the familiar path to their houses, Aomine's phone chimed with a message. He flipped it open.

* * *

 **16:49**

Sender: Kise

To: Aominecchi

aominecchi congrats on your win! I saw the match

* * *

Satsuki peered curiously at the screen. "Ki-chan was there?"

* * *

 **16:50**

Sender: Aomine

To: Kise

yeah thanks

 **16:50**

Sender: Aomine

To: Kise

the only one who can beat me is me anyway

 **16:51**

Sender: Kise

To: Aominecchi

we'll see about that! kasamatsu-senpai got our match details and we're playing against you guys in three weeks or so

 **16:51**

Sender: Aomine

To: Kise

oh really? that'll be interesting since you never won once against me

 **16:52**

Sender: Kise

To: Aominecchi

so mean… but don't underestimate kaijou! its kinda sad we cant have a one-on-one

 **16:53**

Sender: Aomine

To: Kise

yeah but im not going all the way to kanagawa for a one-on-one we'll have later anyways

* * *

After two minutes without a reply from Kise, Aomine pocketed his phone. Satsuki smiled up at him. "How many one-on-ones did the two of you have, anyway?"

"How would I know? We always did whenever we had practice."

"Basketball bakas," laughed Satsuki. "He told me he only got to know you because you hit him on the head with a basketball."

"It wasn't on purpose. The ball slipped."

"Aomine-kun, you never let a basketball slip."

"Fine," sighed Aomine with a short chuckle. "I thought it might be fun to see how he reacted."

 _Kise had shown up at the gymnasium barely five minutes later. Aomine was playing a practice game, completely focused on his movements. He only noticed Kise's wide-eyed stare when he turned after speaking to one of the players._

 _You want to play too? he had asked, not with his voice but with his expression._

 _The blond had smiled, giving a nod. "I'm new to this game, so perhaps I could watch first?" Without waiting for a reply, he headed to one of the benches. Aomine noticed a couple of the team's female managers looking at the model with their cheeks pink. Satsuki hesitantly went over to the new arrival, asking about his club. "Oh, I don't have one because I thought modelling would be too tiring. Basketball seems fun, though, so I'll try it out."_

 _When practice was over, Kise stood and approached Aomine. "That was amazing! Aomine-kun, right? Momoi-san said you're the ace of the first string!"_

 _Aomine laughed a little awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I guess. Thanks."_

" _Do you think-" a spark flashed in golden cat-like eyes, "we could have a one-on-one?"_

" _Aren't you scared of losing?"_

 _Kise grinned. "I know I'll lose. That's why I want to play against you. There's something I want to try."_

 _When the match began, Kise's familiarity with basketball techniques surprised Aomine. Aomine eventually realised that Kise's strength was in copying movements, which explained how he had learnt to play after watching the club practice. When Aomine upped his agility and broke out a few streetball techniques, though, the point difference widened._

 _The last shot, surprisingly, was from Kise, who had copied one of Aomine's formless shots to end the game 8-20. Aomine saw his tiredness and decided to end the game there. Kise had wanted to continue, but Satsuki, looking at her watch, had said that it was getting late. As the three put the basketballs and equipment away, Kise had asked Satsuki if he could join the basketball club. She had agreed to get him a form the next day._

" _Thank you, Momoi-san! And thank you too, Aominecchi!" Kise had said as he was leaving, swinging his bag over his shoulder with an easy grace. Aomine nodded back, then realised what Kise had called him. "A-aominecchi?"_

" _I add 'cchi' to the names of those who I respect," Kise had replied, a smile crossing his face._

"Ki-chan really has become an amazing player," murmured Satsuki. "Anyway, since we've got a day off today, I was thinking-"

"If you're thinking about the shoe thing this evening, I'm not going."

Satsuki laughed. "How did you know about it? There might be basketball shoes there, you know?"

"What's the use of getting basketball shoes when I don't even attend practice? Anyway, I don't want to stand at the side holding your stuff while you try on all the shoes you think Tetsu might like. For three hours."

"I'm not actually going to ask you to go there, Aomine-kun! I was thinking of somewhere more familiar, actually. Besides, it's already five." She tugged at Aomine's sleeve, pulling him with her. "Let's go get popsicles. The convenience store isn't very far from here."

* * *

The door creaked as it swung closed behind Aomine and Satsuki, each carrying a popsicle. Aomine had decided to buy a snack as well, stashing the maiubo in his pocket. The maiubo was sold in individual sticks and in boxes, and Aomine had noticed the cashier looking at them as if wondering where the purple-haired giant who always bought a box of the snacks had gone.

"I haven't had these in such a long time! Ne, Aomine-kun?" Satsuki smiled as she took a bite, blushing when she remembered something. "And this is where Tetsu-kun gave me the popsicle stick! Oh, I hope he's still okay after the-" She ended her sentence suddenly as if afraid of finishing it.

Aomine had an idea of what she wanted to say, but decided to let it go. "You never redeemed that popsicle stick, did you?"

"Ah, keep your mouth shut…"

The two continued walking under the glow of the setting sun. Satsuki was slightly in front, leading the way. "You guys caught a purse-snatcher last time, right? I was at the back with Midorin and Tetsu-kun, so I didn't see anything… only Midorin throwing the maiubo."

"Nothing much, actually. Kise and I chased him, then Midorima's shot nailed him on the head so he fell off his bike. He stepped on the maiubo box and was going to punch Kise when Murasakibara turned up…"

Satsuki's eyes widened comically. "You should have seen Mukkun run after the box like his life depended on it! I pity the purse-snatcher. I asked Midorin how he was going to hit a moving target, and he just said that Cancers were ranked first and he had done everything he could that day!"

"Of course he would."

"As Tetsu-kun said, it was a good team effort, wasn't it, Aomine-kun?"

 _Team effort._ Aomine froze for a millisecond, then nodded wordlessly. He knew the literal meaning, but he doubted he actually understood the phrase anymore.

He could remember the matches he had played in Teikou. After their first game, their first victory, he definitely knew even Haizaki had smiled. To his surprise, he found he had no memory of how they had celebrated. It was understandable, though, since it had been so long ago.

But when was the last time Aomine had joined his rainbow-haired companions in recounting their "battle exploits", in commenting on the plays each of them had perfected, in the banter that had eventually died out? When was the last time the Miracles had shared a genuine laugh, their enthusiasm rivalling Kise's? When was the last time Akashi had congratulated the team on their victory, warmth in his eyes? When was the last time Tetsu had smiled as their fists met, happiness breaking through his usual blank expression?

When was the last time they had passed the ball around, confidence in themselves and each other shining in multicoloured irises? When had they begun to grip the ball more tightly, determined to bring it through the basket by themselves, only passing reluctantly when they had no other choice?

There was a match, he remembered, in which Teikou had had their usual landslide victory. They had been so tense before, unsure if their strength would only bring them so far, but they were finally set as national champions.

The head coach had spoken to him during half-time. He knew Aomine was losing his passion. He hoped he would continue to find a love for basketball in himself even as he grew stronger than anyone had. And Aomine had questioned himself then, as he had many times before: why was he losing interest in what he had loved? Where was the passion that had kept him dragging a nine-year-old Satsuki to the court so he could face off with players twice his age?

After the match, when his teammates were celebrating, he felt none of the expected euphoria. Nijimura noticed, and had placed a hand on his head, urging him to join them, telling him to be honest with himself. So Aomine had forced his questions aside and stepped forward, towards a beaming Kise, towards Tetsu, his expression a silent congratulation of Aomine's play, towards Murasakibara, stretching lazily, towards Midorima and Akashi, bumping fists as they looked proudly at the team they had led so far.

And for a while, he had remembered the joy of his basketball. The feel of adrenaline rushing through him, sharpening his concentration as he brought the ball with him in a formless series of movements, faking, rolling, driving, dunking. The roars of the crowd carrying him and his teammates through their games. And above all, the euphoria of competition and victory.

Aomine had tried to save his passion, at first. The problem was his strength, so he stopped going to practice, hoping that somebody would eventually catch up. Without practice, he didn't get to see the five Miracles as much. He avoided them, in fact, since he wasn't sure how they would react to him. Tetsu tried to talk to him, but it didn't help much. The others acted indifferent, but began growing apart as well. He supposed Kise might have tried to hold them together with his cheer, but he knew it wouldn't have taken long for even the blond to give up. All of them, like Aomine, had lost their love for the sport.

That was when the competition had started, wars within themselves, aiming for the twenty-point quota, flaring up whenever another took their goal. During the games, each Miracle played for himself, wanting nothing but to score more goals than the rest. Tetsu was subbed in less and less, only playing in more important matches.

The one-on-ones with Kise were one of the only things that reminded him of what the Miracles had once had. Aomine knew he could count on Kise to email him every three weeks or so, asking if he wanted to play on the street courts. Though Kise was still too weak to defeat Aomine, he always put up a tough fight, so Aomine could never afford to go easy on him- something that brought him some relief. Playing against Kise was more exciting than the games against the middle-school teams they had surpassed, at least. There were the other Miracles, of course, but the one-on-ones had become something the two of them shared.

A liquid chill from his melting popsicle brought Aomine out of his thoughts. He hurriedly finished it, wondering why Satsuki hadn't said anything. It turned out that she was typing away on her phone, frowning slightly.

"Aomine-kun, did Tanaka-sensei say anything about the deadline for that Literature assignment? Kotara-san was complaining about only having a week to finish everything…"

"Huh? There was an assignment?"

"Didn't I pass you a copy since you were on the roof?"

"Oh, yeah…"

"You haven't started on it, have you?"

"I'll end up copying yours as usual, so what's there to worry about?"

" _Aomine-kun!_ "

The rest of the walk home passed with their usual banter. Above them, the sun was setting, casting shades of pink and gold across the sky.

* * *

 _It's not that I'm wondering if I could get it all back_

 _If I were to forget everything, I don't think I'd mind_

 _But none of that changes who I am / There's still no way I'll lose_

 _I'll take my desire to win and make that my answer_

* * *

On the day of the match against Kaijou, Aomine got off the bus one stop early, jogged the rest of the way to the gymnasium, and spent fifteen whole minutes at the street court behind it, warming up. If he was going to beat Kise, he couldn't play a half-assed game.

Ten minutes before the gathering time, Aomine stepped into the gymnasium, sauntering through the maze of blue-tiled corridors. A faint ringing from the bottom of his bag told him Satsuki was calling. Maybe he should have turned his phone off. He went left and glimpsed a black-haired Kaijou player sitting on a bench in the corridor. Wrong place.

Doubling back, he heard shouting. The voice sounded like Wakamatsu's, so he hurried towards its source. The words were getting clearer. "...late to every game! Even when he shows up, he doesn't always play! I'm sure he'll be late again today!"

Aomine smirked and continued down the corridor towards Touou's room (as the sign beside it indicated). Coach Harasawa had just finished speaking, something about the team being in trouble if Aomine didn't show up. He turned the doorknob, swinging the door open with a creak. "Hey. Did you say something?"

"Looks like you've already warmed up," commented the coach.

"Yeah, I thought you guys might have some trouble without me today."

Satsuki took a step forward. "Don't make me worry every time!"

"We're up against Kise. There's no way I would be late."

"Eh?"

"I've been looking forward to playing against him for a long time." _Finally. The first clash between two Miracles._ "He's one of the few guys I can crush with all my might."

Coach Harasawa nodded. "Okay. It's almost time. We have to go."

Aomine left the room together with his teammates. Satsuki walked silently beside him, making last minute notes on Kaijou's data.

The teams were announced onto the court with a burst of cheering from the audience. Aomine could hear Kise's fangirls squealing from the stands. The high school teams watching had already filed in, studying the players. Kaijou was doing their final warm-up stretches as their captain walked to the bench players and high-fived them. Aomine recognised him as the black-haired player he had seen on the bench. So that was Kise's Kasamatsu-senpai. As for the Touou players, most of the starting members, except Aomine, were listening to the coach and Satsuki's instructions.

Aomine stared out at the Interhigh court. The footsteps approaching him had a familiar rhythm. He turned to his former teammate, slightly surprised by the lack of an excited greeting. Kise only smiled. "I won't lose, Aominecchi."

"What? You're awfully confident, Kise. Have you ever beaten me before?"

"I'll win today. I really don't want to lose today." Confidence glimmered in his golden eyes. Aomine remembered, once again, countless one-on-ones, laughter ringing through the air as their basketball shoes scuffed the floor of the school gymnasium and the street court.

"Oi, Kise! Whatever you want to tell him, say it on the court! Come here!" Kasamatsu yelled. Kise gave Aomine an apologetic look and hurried over, joining his teammates as Kasamatsu outlined some sort of strategy to them. Aomine cast an appraising glance at Kaijou's captain, noting the amount of presence he exuded. Imayoshi called to the Touou players and Aomine walked over to join the starting lineup.

Aomine wondered why he had thought so much of the Miracles in the past few weeks. Perhaps it was because of the prospect of playing against them. He let the memories of their matches flash past, remembering Kise's playing style; recalling countless celebrations, then countless postgame periods spent alone.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted Tetsu with the rest of Seirin, watching.

" _From hereon, we are all rivals. The next time I see you will be the high school championships." Akashi's calm voice echoed through the empty Teikou gym, sunlight filtering through its dusty windows._

" _Well, that's true, but we don't have to get so cutthroat so quickly…" Kise, as usual, was trying to lighten the mood._

" _It's just coincidence that we all parted ways." Murasakibara's usual monotone betrayed no emotion._

" _Coincidence?" Akashi shook his head slightly, heterochromatic eyes flashing. "This is far from coincidence. The number of schools with powerhouse teams is very limited. However, none of us thought even for a second about going to the same school as another."_

 _The Miracles stiffened._

" _In the first place, we despise being rounded up into one nickname, the Generation of Miracles. If we face off, we are sure to see who is superior. We each feel that 'there is nobody above me'. And to prove that, we cannot help feeling a need to curtail everyone else. That is not logic, but instinct."_

 _After all this, the feeling that I want to win is still with me._ Perhaps that was one of the only things that kept Aomine playing basketball, long after his motivation was gone. But even without motivation, even with his past in Teikou, he was still formless, infinite. He was no longer the person he had been in Teikou Middle School. He was the ace of Touou and the Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki.

"The second quarterfinal game between Kaijou High School and Touou Academy will now begin!"

The referee threw the ball skyward.

The two centers leaped into the air, reaching for it.

" _I won't lose, Aominecchi."_

 _Neither will I, Kise._

* * *

 _Once again…_


End file.
